03/31/12

The greenest option when using a printer at work or in your home office is simple -- don't. But there are times when not printing isn't an option, so do the next-best thing: Decrease the margin sizes. Setting a 0.75-inch margin allows you to fit more content on each sheet of paper. Taking it one step further and decreasing the font size will save even more trees.

03/30/12

Be sure that the next time you buy milk, you choose organic in paper cartons. Recently, Dr. Oz rated dairy a "Must Buy Organic" food. Organic milk comes from cows that aren't fed genetically modified food or injected with antibiotics. To make your milk work even harder for you, be sure to get paper cartons -- light destroys vitamin A and riboflavin. Pricey national brands and generic brands of organic milk must meet the same standards set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, so no matter which way you go, you'll be sure you're getting the same benefits.

03/29/12

With warmer weather comes first-time gardeners. Gardening can be an expensive investment for people who have more of a brown thumb than a green one. If you'd like to give gardening a try in your yard but are working on a limited budget, consider picking up flowers, herbs and other outdoor plants during the weeks between spring and summer. Spring plants will be seriously marked down (up to 90 percent off) to make room for heartier summer/fall plants, but the spring blooms will still be healthy and flourishing. So even if your garden wilts under your care, you'll learn from your mistakes without losing a lot of money. And remember: Many home and garden stores will take back plastic planters for free recycling.